Working with research postgraduates

Now, more than ever, research postgraduates are expected to publish, for their own career and to satisfy their university and their sponsors. Trevor Day has helped many hundreds of research postgraduates enhance the power of their writing to achieve academic success.

Trevor designs and facilitates tailor-made courses. Two-day on- or off-campus retreats are popular. So too are half-day or one-day workshops. For example:

Trevor runs various versions of this course, tailoring it to specific academic disciplines and the needs of the university. With his background as a scientific writer and social science researcher, and with extensive coaching and teaching experience across faculties, Trevor has a deep understanding of different disciplinary requirements. On this course he deals with the practicalities of thesis-planning and writing, from structure and argument, to writing style. Coverage can include carrying out literature reviews and using technology, but above all, he inspires students with practical approaches to managing and empowering their writing.

Developing a strong publication record is vital for early career academics. Drawing upon his own research and practice, and that of many colleagues with whom he has collaborated, Trevor takes participants on a journey from which they emerge with a range of strategies for:

selecting academic journals or other publications to meet their needs and aspirations

approaching editors and publishers in ways that increase the chances of successful publication

writing their publication with specific purposes in mind to better engage their target audience

gaining constructive feedback from others and handling any criticism in a constructive manner

monitoring their work through the publication process and developing a publication strategy

Reading is one of the most time-consuming aspects of academic research. Any ways of making the process more efficient yield great dividends. As an academic researcher and professional writer Trevor Day has radically improved his own reading strategies. He shares his wide range of techniques and strategies on this course, which has already helped thousands of students and staff to enhance their reading productivity. Coverage includes:

the true nature of reading for academic writing

how to apply modern understanding of the reading process to make your academic reading more flexible and efficient

how to read an academic paper in different ways to meet your specific needs at the time